The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-07-14
DOINGS AT DENVER
Of the Pacific Investigation
Committee.
HEAVY DAY FOR TESTIMONY
The Corruption Fund 10 SecuSe Tel
ler's Election the Money
eut-ktc.
The Pacific Investigation Committee
still Probing

SFllL Il
DENVER July 13.-Among the wit
nesses examined to-day by the Pacific
Railway Investigation Commission were
~. K. Choate, superintendent OF the
Colorado division of the Union Pacific
". B. Felker. formerly State railroad
commissioner for Colorado: Willard
Teller. one of the local attorneys OF
the Union Pacific; Edmund H. Smith
editor OF the Denver EUening Telegram,
and number of local merchants.
Mr., Choate was examined as to the
services re dered by him in connection
with railroad legislation. He testified
| hat he had talked with most all the
members of the legislature who were
| hostne TO the railroads during the ses
sion of last winter. He bad endeavored
| 10 ascertain the cause of their hostility
in each case and wherever they had a
special grievance endeaVored TO r. move
the cause of the hostility. He had
talks and informal meetinAs with other
railroad men, and had canvassed with
them the proposition of the different
members. He denied with emphasis
having ever offered any money or other
consideration to members for the pur-
pose of influencing their votes, but ad-
mitted that he had given railroad
passes to all the members, which all
the railroads in Colorado did, he said
and on application Of friendly members
he had given passes to their friends
This he had not done for members who
were hostile to railroads.
Edmund II. Smith, editor of the Den
yer Erenind Teleqrdn, when being 9ueS-
toned as to whether the railroad or the
people had won in the last State cleo
ton, said the Republican party had
won that. The people had struggle
with the railroads, and the people had
got on top AS this seemed to be an
Implication that the Democratic party
was the railroad party, Governor
Pattison, with some warmth, pressed
the witness to tell what measure hostile
to the railroads had been passed by the
Leeis ature
Witness answered that the railroads
bad not got hurt much, as no hostile
measure had been passed. (Laughter.)
John Martin. merchant of Denver,
testified as to discriminating rates. and
the conviction that the rail-
road should be made to pay its debt
to the government when the debt ma
tured
Robert II. Rubrije, secretary of the
Marshall Coal Mining Company, of
Colorado, testified as regards rebates al
lowed his company by the Union
Pacific from November, 1885, to April,
1887. The amount aggregated
S22, 0C0; the agreement to
give the rebate was made, he
said, in consideration of the with
drawal by the Marshall Company of a
lawsuit it had against the Union Pa
cific.
Mason B. Carpenter, member OF the
State Senate, said he did not know of
any money being used by the railroads
or others in the senatorial fight. He
did not believe dollar had been paid to
influence votes.
J. B. Felker testified that the facili- |
ties afforded by the Union Pacific Com
pa V were about the same as were
afforded by other roads.
State Senator Campbell, in reply to |
inquiries by Commissioner Little, testi- |
fed as 10 the action of the legislative |
e that investigated the Teller. |
Hull ontest for the United States Senate. !
He said the committee was made up |
as good men as there were in Colorado, |
and was not in any sense whiteWashing |
The committee. He saw nothing of any |
found.
United States Senator Teller, rising
and addressing the Commission,
said he did not desire to be a |
man with grievance, but Mr..
n. ?. Hill had openly stated that the
railroad companies had put up money
to secure his (Teller's) election: that |
the charge included the Union Pacific |
Railroad Company, and it was a serious
charge; but it was such a charge as
Mr.. Teller could not present to tie
United States Senate, as that body had |
decided, in the case OF Senator Payne, |
Of Ohio, that in order that such a cues
ion might be within the line of in
resignation by the Senate, the Senator
elect must be charged with hay
ng knowledge of such corrupt |
Use of money. Mr., Hill had not charged |
ne Mr.. Teller had no such knoWl- |